Motor-actuated signal mechanism.



Patented Fab. 20, I900.

T. B. K EELEB, MOTOR ACTUATED. SIGNAL MECHANISM.

(Application filed In. 10, 1899') 2 Shouts-Shoat I.

(No Model.)

. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

T. B. KEELEB. MOTOR ADTUATED' SIGNAL MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED \STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TI-IADDEUS B. KEELER, OF RAHVVAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAND- ARD RAILROAD SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ARLINGTON, NEWV JERSEY.

MOTOR-ACTUATED SIGNA L MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,823, dated February 20, 1900. Application filed March 10, 1899. Serial No. 708,503. (No model.)

To aZZ-whOm/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUS B. KEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rahway, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Motor-Actuated Signal Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an-improvement in motor-actuated signal mechanism with the object in View of providing a simple and effective means for automatically setting a semaphore-blade or its equivalent at danger or safety.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurelisaview of the mechanism in front elevation or as it appears to the engineer of an approaching train. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation with the cap of the box containing the operating mechanism removed to show the parts 1 therein. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in detail of the signal-operating mechanism in eleva tion, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same.

The semaphore-blade is shown connected to the post by what is known in the art as an electric slot mechanism, quite similar in its principle and operation to that shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 542,769, granted to me July 16, 1895, the part arranged to rotate or rock, together with the spindle b of the semaphoreblade B, being denoted by C and having mounted thereon the swinging latch E, carrying the armature d of an electromagnet D, also supported on the part 0, and a catch F, under the control of the latch E, to lock the part 0 to the part G, mounted to rock independently of the part 0 except when locked thereto by the catch F, the part Gbeing provided with an arm h, connected with the signal-operating rod H.

The above parts have been lettered to correspond with theparts shown, described, and claimed in the patent above referred to, and further elaboration is thought to be unnecessary, as their operation is not essentially different from that set forth in the patent.

The part G instead of being a complete annular rim or cup-disk is shown in the present instance as a segment only, but this does not alter its principle of operation.

The several parts above referred to, together with the blade-operating mechanism, are compactly arranged within a box or casing A, conveniently attached to the post P on the rear side or the side opposite that on which the blade B is mounted, the said box being provided with a hinged cover a and having flanges a a through which bolts a extend to secure the box to the post.

Within the box Athere is mounted a wormwheel K, to which the signal-operating rod H is eccentrically attached, as at h. A worm It on the shaft 1 of an electric motor (shown conventionally at L) is located in position to engage the worm-wheel K, and said motorshaft 1 is provided with half-round sockets n for the reception of rounded bearing-heads N, the shanks extending from said rounded heads being screw-threaded and engaged with screw-threaded socket-pieces n for adj usting the said bearing-heads toward and away from one another, as may be desired. Set-screws n are provided in the bearing-sockets for looking the bearings in their adjustment.

The electric circuits for operating the motor, and hence the signal, are arranged as follows: Wires 0 0 lead to the track (not shown) or to the point from which the signal is to be operated and include in the operating-track or other circuit an electromagnet R. The armature T of the electromagnet R forms a part of an electric circuit for energizing the magnet D, which controls the locking and releasing of the slot mechanism. The wires of this circuit are denoted by 0 0' and lead the one from the armature r and the other from the contact-point r in position to be engaged by the armature 0" when the latter is drawn toward the magnet R to suitable bindingposts (1 q in the box or casing A and thence to the opposite poles of the electromagnet D. This circuit, formed by the wires 0 0 and the armature r, includes a battery Q and an electromagnet R for opening and closing one of the two breaks in the motor-operating circuit, as follows: The motor-operating circuit comprises a battery Q,from the opposite poles of which wires 0 o extend, the one directly to a contact-piece s in a switch-box S, attached to the signal-post P, in proximity to the box or casing A, and the other 0 to a contact-piece t in position to engage a circuit maker and breaker 1' carried by the armature 0' of the electromagnet R. Another section 0 of the wire 0 extends from a conta'ct-piece t, also in position to be engaged by the circuit maker and breaker 7' carried by the armature 7- to a suitable binding-post on the box or casing A and thence to one pole of the motor L. Still another section 0 of the wire 0 extends from the opposite pole of the motor L to a convenient binding-post on the box or casing A and thence to the contactpiece 5, a companion to the contact-piece 8, within the switch-box S to complete the motor-circuit.

It will be noticed that the motor-operating circuit has an arrangementfor breaking it at the switch-box S and also at the contact-pieces t t, which are connected by the circuit maker and breaker carried by the armature r of the electromagnet Rthat is, when the magnet R is energized the armature 0 will close electric contact between the pieces a t, and so far as that break is concerned will complete the circuit. If at the same time the contactpieces 3 s in the switch-box S are in contact, the motor-circuit will be complete; but if either of these two breaks in the motor-operating circuit is open the circuit itself will be broken and the operation of the motor will stop.

The contact-pieces s and s in the switchbox S are thrown into contact by means of a nose or sector a on a rock-shaft U, connected on the exterior of the switch-box S with a pitman u" by a link a The pitman a is connected at its opposite end with the signalblade B on that side of the spindle b on which the blade itself is located, and the arc-shaped face of the nose it prevents the separation of the contact-pieces s 8' throughout the movement of the shaft U until the signal nears its safety position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) and then permits the contact-pieces to separate to break the motor-circuit.

To prevent the signal-blade from shock on its return movement under the influence of its counterbalance B, I provide an air-cushion supported independently of the blade and constructed and arranged as follows: A plunger w carries on its enda piston to, which works within a cylinder W, and the end of the plunger is so located with respect to the signal-blade B that the latter will engage it just before it reaches its horizontal or danger position and be brought to a stop by the compression of the air between the piston w and the closed upper end of the cylinder W.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the signal to stand normallyat danger, with the magnet R in the track or other operating-circuit deenergized and the armature 9' out of engagement with the contact-piece r, and

hence the magnet R deenergized and its armature 1' with its circuit maker and breaker r out of engagement with the contact-pieces t t, and the remaining parts in the position shownin full lines in the drawings, if it now be desired to put the signal to safety the closing of the circuit 0 0 will energize the magnet R, drawing its armature 9" into engagement with the contact-piece r and completing the circuit through the electromagnet D, which controls the slot mechanism for locking the rocking piece G to the piece 0, which rotates or rocks with the signal-blade. The completing of this circuit will also energize the electromaguet R, thereby causing its armature r to complete contact between the pieces 25 t, and this in turn will complete the motor-circuit through the battery Q and the motorwill be set in operation, and by the engagement of its worm is with the wormwheel K will, through the rod H and the arm 71, locked to the piece 0 by the catch F, force the signal-blade B downwardly into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the blade approaches its safety position it will, through thepitman to, link if, spindle U, and nose a, release the contact-pieces s from the contact-piece 8, thereby breaking the motorcircuit and stopping the motor. In this position the parts will remain until the track or other operating circuit 0 O is broken, deenergizing the magnet R, and thereby permitting its armature r to open the circuit 0 0 through the magnet D, and hence releasing the catch F, thereby permitting the bladeB to swing back into its danger position under the influence of its counterbalance B independently of the piece G, connected with the operating-rod H. The breaking of the circuit 0 0 will at the same time deenergize the magnet R, permitting its armature 1' to make a second break in the motor-circuit by separating the contact-pieces t t. In again operating the signal the motor will be permitted to operate the worm-wheel K without affecting the signal until the parts have been returned into the position shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where the catch F is permitted to lock the signal-blade to the piece G under the control of the operating-rod H, when the operation of lowering the signal into position for safety will be repeated in the same manner as hereinabove explained.

The herein-described arrangement is such that the signal-arm is moved gradually and positively into safety position without requiring any stop motion other than simply the breaking of the motor-circuit, and the entire operating mechanism is so simple and may be so compactly arranged as to make it capable of being readily attached to any signal-post in ordinary use.

By the adjustable bearings at the opposite ends of the 1n otor-shaft a delicate adjustment of the motor-shaft may be maintained and any wear may taken up.

be simply and satisfactorily What I claim is 1. A signal-arm mounted to rock, a signaloperating rod, electrically-controlled means for connecting the signal-operating rod with the rocking arm, an electric motor for actuating the signal-operating rod, an electric circuit for operating the motor and two independent means for making and breaking the motor-circuit, one under the direct control of the rocking arm and another under the control of the circuit for connecting the signaloperating rod with the rocking arm, substantially as set forth. 1

2. A signal-arm mounted to rock, a signal operating rod, electrically-controlled means for locking the operating-rod to the rocking arm, a rotary wheel eccentrically connected with the operating-rod, an electric motor having a permanent engagement with said wheel to rotate it and thereby actuate the signaloperating rod, an electric circuit for actuating the motor, a break in the motor-circuit,

means connected with the rocking arm for 

